Nodoka's Secret
by bradw316
Summary: A short fluff cross featuring Ranma learning about family he never knew he had


1: Nodoka's Secret

_Ranma and Runoni Kenshin are not mine so don't sue me please._

It was the beginning of summer in Japan, kids being released for there summer holiday included Ranma Saotome. The last few months had been rather hectic for the pigtailed martial artist, the battle against Saffron had started it, the failed wedding had brought it about, and the fiancee question was still up in the air. Ranma alone had been made to return with his mother to his place of birth with Akane and Kasumi in tow. The Saotome family home had been hit by the fiancee hurricane the first time they had come to pay their respects, to Ranma's mother. Nodoka, decided Ranma needed to be punished for this, and for his own indecision on the fiancee issue. So Ranma was now fixing the house, and doing any other chore his mother asked for an entire month, Kasumi had come to help keep Nodoka company, and Akane just came because she felt that she should help for her part in the demolition.

With surprising skill Ranma had filled in most of the holes in or around the ground floor wall and made it up to the attic, to fill in the holes in the roof. He sat in his traditional style lotus position checking the holes out. Akane watched him from her spot nearby, she was currently cleaning up the attic when he arrived. "Is it bad?" she asked. 

Ranma glanced over his shoulder at her and gave a tired sigh, "It's one of Shampoo's holes," he grumbled slowly cutting away the jagged pieces of wood. He noted something odd about the wood though, the floor of the attic looked hollow, which wasn't unusual in itself except this was a lot wider spaced, as if meant to hide something. He bent over the hole and examined the space between the floor of the attic and the ceiling of the living room.

Akane gave him a strange look. "Ranma what are you doing?"

Ranma didn't answer at first seeing a small trunk wedged between the space between attic and living room. "Got some kind of trunk in here," he said muffled grabbing the handle he pulled the trunk toward him, but this caused him to become unbalanced and he nearly fell through the hole if not for Akane grabbing him and with some effort pulled him back into the attic. 

"You baka, could of landed on your head," she growled at him. 

Ranma shrugs, "Wouldn't of hurt, you've hit me harder than that," he said softly bringing the trunk up. He heard Akane snarl deeply, and winced slightly as he felt her ki start to rise, for a second before it stopped, he glanced back and notice Akane's bewildered expression. Ranma turned to the trunk and written on the side of the trunk in white letters was Kaoru Kamiya, he gave this confused look. Standing up Ranma, looked at the trunk for a few seconds, "Come on Akane let's get my mom," he said simply.

XXX

Nodoka was led up the stairs to the attic by her son and his fiancee, when she saw what they were leading her to she nearly fell to her knees. She quietly walked up to the trunk and kneel down in front of it, gently running her hand over the dusty trunk surface, "Great Grandmother's trunk," she smiled softly.

Ranma blinked, "Um who was she mom?" Nodoka smiled softly, "Ranma, dear please bring this down to the living room, and I'll explain who she was" 

With with little effort Ranma brought the trunk down, to the living room and set it on the table Akane looking confused as he. Neither knew much about Nodoka, Ranma because of his ten year training trip, and Akane because she only just met her future mother-in-law that year. She sat down quietly in front of the trunk and produced an old key, "This belonged to your great grandmother, Ranma. Her name was Kaoru Kamiya, Grandmaster of the Kamiya Kasshin sword art. She lived during the Meiji Era, before World War 1" 

Ranma eyes widen, he heard a lot about that era because of the many complications during that time. "Wow," he said simply and Akane agreed. 

Nodoka smiled sadly, "Her father had died during the beginnings of the revolution, so she lived and taught her students in this very house, your grandmother told me the dojo had been destroyed during the Tokyo bombings in WWII, your grandfather didn't want to rebuild it, so he simply made a garden of the area, where the dojo once had been," she sat quietly reflecting then she opened the trunk. Inside was a folded wedding kimono yellowed by time, next to it was a small photo, yellow and black from age, it was a huge group photo. Nodoka notice the young couple up front, "These are your great grandparents, Ranma," she said pointing to a young man with slightly greyish style hair meaning with was either, blonde, or another light color, and a young dark haired woman. Ranma smiled slightly, noting how happy they seemed, "Kinda of interesting to here about my family history, pops never said much about anything, except when it came to the art"

Nodoka gave a slight clouded look, "Because your father feared my great grandfather's past Ranma" 

Akane finally looked in and saw a samurai sword, "Auntie, what's that" 

Nodoka pulled the sword out of the trunk and turned it over in her hands, until she slowly pulled it from the sheath. They all notice it looked much like an ordinary sword except for one major difference, the blade was on the wrong side. Nodoka smiled softly at this, "Great Grandfather's reverse blade sword," she said. 

Ranma eyes furrowed a bit in confusion, "Why would carry a sword like that" 

"Because, during the revolution, your great grandfather had killed many men, and earned a fearsome reputation, he was known as Hitokiri Battousai," she said softly. 

Both Ranma and Akane, had there mouth's hanging open at that declaration, then both looked at to the picture of Ranma's great grandfather. The picture made the young man in the picture look like a sweet and caring person, but as they look at the serious expression on Nodoka's face clearly stated that she was not lying. "After the revolution he swore off killing, became a wanderer, a ronin, until he reached Tokyo, and met your great grandmother. They had many adventures and spent much of the time securing the Meiji Era government. When it was all over the two got married," she said softly. 

Ranma sat stunned, but in someway began to realize something, he often wondered where he got his fighting spirit from, and judging just his family line, he could tell he never got it from his father. Genma Saotome was a lazy fat slob, who only did martial arts to bully others, like him. Ranma smirked slightly, as of late thought, the old panda had been losing steadily, for awhile. He glanced at his deceased family members, getting a new pride for them. He looks up at his mom and smiled softly, "Thanks mom, never knew really about my family history until today, of course most of it was already in my history books," he chuckles lightly as he watched his mother gently put the sword back in the scabbard and then lightly place it back in the trunk, closing it then locked it. 

Nodoka gently pats his shoulder, "I know your great grandparents would be proud to have you as a great grandson, because I'm so proud," she said standing up and walking into the kitchen. "Dinner will be ready in a few hours, why don't you and Akane finish up then, put the trunk in attic. 

Two hours had passed and Ranma finally set the trunk in a bare corner of the attic, and bent down slightly giving a prayer to his ancestors. Akane watched him quietly, she notice a change had come over him during these last two hours. Could it be that, simply finding out about his historic family mean that much to him. She could hardly believe what she heard, Ranma's great grandfather had been the legendary manslayer, the one who virtually won the Revolution with his sword, and then vanished once the Meiji Era had been formed. Ranma stood up and turned to her, "Akane, I'm sorry for a lot of things I've said to you over the last two years, well the bad things anyway," he smiled slightly. 

Akane's time to be stunned had arrived, "Um, okay, then can you let me apologize for hitting you all those times?" she managed to say. 

Ranma smile brighten a bit, "Now all I need to do is clear up this fiancee mess and maybe get my life straighten out," he slumped his shoulders looking slightly depressed, "Cept it's going to take a miracle or an act of the Kami's" 

Akane nods wondering why his sudden change, "Why are you suddenly deciding to make these changes" 

Ranma turned back to his great grandmothers trunk, "Because after finding out who my ancestors were I feel like I'm shaming them by doing all this stuff. I going to really make them proud of me and change my life around" 

Akane simply nodded and silently thanking whatever fate let Ranma find that trunk.

XXX

In the skies above, a faint outline of certain goddess of love and the past smirked slightly, Urd was happy at her latest brainstorm. "I'm so smart I be can scary at times," she boasted as Skuld appeared.

She glared at her, "Your just fullfilling that wish Kaoru made after she gave birth to Nodoka's grandfather."

Urd looked annoyed, "Whatever, now that's done I can consentrate on Belldandy's situation," she smiled slyly vanishing. 

Skuld burst out in anger, "Hey leave Bell-chan alone," she shouted vanishing as well.


End file.
